Citizenship – for children

Here you will find information about what is required for a child to become a Swedish citizen through notification.

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For stateless children born in Sweden and for children with a Swedish father born abroad before 1 April 2015, special requirements apply.

Citizenship for stateless children born in Sweden

Children with a Swedish father born abroad before 1 April 2015

Requi­re­ments for citi­zenship

To become a Swedish citizen through notification, these requirements must be met. The child must

  • have the right of residence, residence status, a residence card or a permanent residence permit in Sweden (does not apply to children who are Nordic citizens)
  • have lived in Sweden for the past three years (or two if the child is stateless)
  • be under 18 years old.

Read more about the right of residence and residence cards

Read more about residence status

If the child has reached the age of 15,

  • it must have been proven probable that the child’s identity is correct
  • the child must not be reasonably suspected or convicted of certain crimes*
  • the child must not pose a threat to Sweden’s national security or public safety
  • the child must not be associated with groups or organisations that have committed abuse against other people.

*The child must not be reasonably suspected or convicted of a crime for which the punishment under Swedish law is four years or more years in prison. The child must also not have been convicted of repeated crimes which, under Swedish law, can neither be considered minor nor committed long ago. This applies regardless of whether the suspected or committed crimes took place in Sweden or another country.

The notification must be made by the child’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s). If the child has more than one parent/legal guardian, all their parents/legal guardians must sign the notification.

Children who have reached the age of 12 must consent to becoming a Swedish citizen by signing the notification.

In most cases, you pay a fee.

Citizenship fees

Requi­re­ments for using the e-service

To use the e-service, the following is necessary:

  • you as the parent/legal guardian must have an e-identification
  • children 12 and up must have an e-identification
  • you as the parent/legal guardian must have an email address
  • you as the parent/legal guardian must be able to pay by card.

Children 12 and up must sign the notification with an e-identification. If the child (12 or older) does not have an e-identification, you need to apply by form.

If the child to whom the notification relates has children who live in Sweden, then under certain conditions, they can automatically become Swedish citizens. For information on the conditions that must be met, see Swedish citi­zenship for children of a parent who becomes a Swedish citizen through noti­fi­ca­tion

If the child has lived in Sweden and has had the right of residence for three years, an assessment is made of whether the child’s parents fulfil the requirements for the right of residence. You must therefore send in documents that show that you as the parent/legal guardian fulfil the requirements for the right of residence or residence card.

How to verify your right of resi­dence or resi­dence card

If you are a family member of an EU/EEA citizen, you need to be able to show that you have and have had the right of residence and thereby had a legal presence in that your relative has and has had the right of residence. You must therefore send in documents that show that your relative has worked, studied, been self-employed or had own funds in Sweden in the past five years.

If your rela­tive works or has worked, you must include

  • a verification of employment or work certificate with information on the period of employment and terms of employment for the past five years
  • a certificate from the Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) verifying that your relative was a job seeker if he or she was unemployed for six months or more
  • a certificate from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) verifying that your relative lacked the ability to work for six months or more due to illness or accident if applicable.

If your rela­tive is or has been self-employed, you must include

  • a registration certificate for the company
  • tax returns or other documentation that shows that the company has been active for the past five years.

If your relative is or has had own funds, you must include

  • documents that show that your relative has had adequate funding to financially support the family the past five years, such as pension disbursements, wages from abroad or bank funds (if you have own funds for your financial support, they must also be reported)
  • housing costs for the past five years
  • certificates that nobody in the family has received income support according to the Social Services Act in the past five years.

If your rela­tive studies or has studied, you must include

  • study grants for the periods your relative studied
  • a certificate that your relative has been able to financially support you during the time he or she studied.

You can use the My page e-service to see how your case is progressing and, for example, whether a decision has been made.

Log in to My page

If you cannot apply online, complete the form Notification of Swedish citizenship for a child who lives in Sweden, 318011 (in Swedish only).

Notification of Swedish citizenship for a child who lives in Sweden, form 318011 (in Swedish only) Pdf, 755.8 kB, opens in new window.

Send the notification to

Swedish Migration Agency
Citizenship Unit
601 70 Norrköping

In most cases, you pay a fee.

Citizenship fees

The Swedish Migration Agency sends the decision to your officially registered address. If the child has become a Swedish citizen, we also notify the Swedish Tax Agency of the decision. We will then also freeze the child’s residence permit card, which means that the card is invalid and can no longer be used for travel.

Swedish passport

If the child has become a Swedish citizen, you can apply for a Swedish passport. You file the application for a Swedish passport with the police.

If the child is abroad and you want to apply for a Swedish passport, you can do so at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general.

The Police website External link, opens in new window.

Swedish embassies and consulates-general External link, opens in new window.

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